What's 'wrong' with Catholicism (dare we try to discuss without debate?)

[JennyMominRI]

Admit I haven't read whole thread, so I may be repeating what someone else has said, and I apologize if I do...
I'm a Catholic--struggle with my Church over many issues, but still a attends-Mass-regularly-teaches-RE kinda Catholic.
One issue non-Catholics have with the Roman Catholic Church is its reliance on tradition as much as, if not more, than the Bible. A fundamentalist non-Catholic friend is always asking me about my faith, "Where does it say that in the Bible?" I was led to believe that the Bible is not to be taken literally. Total opposite of several other Christian beliefs.

It only makes sense that it relies on Tradition as there is a lot of focu on tradition in Judaism..
I've never really undertood where exactly the idea that Christianity must be Sola Scriptora comes from

 

[golfgal]

OK. Here's what I said: Anyone who believes in Jesus will go to heaven.

Then why did you tell your DD that you didn't think Catholics will go to heaven??? I am terribly confused by your posts.

 

[bananiem]

Hi Annie!!


Say, are you heading back to Tampa in January??

I wish!!! I'll have to cheer from home.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Admit I haven't read whole thread, so I may be repeating what someone else has said, and I apologize if I do...
I'm a Catholic--struggle with my Church over many issues, but still a attends-Mass-regularly-teaches-RE kinda Catholic.
One issue non-Catholics have with the Roman Catholic Church is its reliance on tradition as much as, if not more, than the Bible. A fundamentalist non-Catholic friend is always asking me about my faith, "Where does it say that in the Bible?" I was led to believe that the Bible is not to be taken literally. Total opposite of several other Christian beliefs.

To which I reply--do they really believe that EVERYTHING that Jesus did is contained in the pages of the Bible. Even in the actual bible itself (some of the old testament)--there are foot notes that say essentially "For more information, go look at this book". (It says it differently--but that is the gist).

Also--The catholic faith is not solo scriptura. other faiths are not. I have a friend--if it isn't in the Bible--then God didn't say it or mean it or allow it or what not.

 

[Deb in IA]

Do your children receive communion at your church? Have they since the time they were born? No. Our neighbors growing up were the Episcopal minister in our town and his family. They didn't receive Communion until they were in about 8th grade.

Actually, they do. The Episcopal Church has changed its position on Holy Communion since then. It used to be that you could not receive Communion until after Confirmation, which occurs at 9th grade (this is what DH remembers). But now all BAPTIZED Christians are welcome to take Communion in the Episcopal Church. So, yes, our children have been receiving Communion since they were about a year old.

 

[golfgal]

OK I have a serious question that I hope someone can help me with. When I got married - over 12 years ago. I did get married in the Catholic church to a Lutheran. We promised to baptize the kids Catholic but many years later when we did have children we baptized them in the Lutheran church. We just felt the Lutheran church was a better fit for us.
Now what happens to me? I didn't lie. I guess I didn't put enough thought into it. At the time I was very unhappy with the church (non-practicing) but my family thought it was the only way to go.

After reading this thread I feel a little weird that I promised that but didn't follow through.

If, at the time of your wedding you intended on raising your kids Catholic then nothing will happen to you. You changed your mind. God gave us free will which is also the freedom to change our minds.

If, you however, lied to your priest and had no intention of raising your kids Catholic you will be struck down by a large bolt of lightning (just kidding).

 

[Crankyshank]

Father Porter is the one I was talking about...He was at St Mary's in No Attleboro

I went to St Mary's school. Later it became St Mary-Sacred Heart when the school was condemned and we were moved around the block. Where I should have been all along according to my very French Catholic Meme .

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

OK I have a serious question that I hope someone can help me with. When I got married - over 12 years ago. I did get married in the Catholic church to a Lutheran. We promised to baptize the kids Catholic but many years later when we did have children we baptized them in the Lutheran church. We just felt the Lutheran church was a better fit for us.
Now what happens to me? I didn't lie. I guess I didn't put enough thought into it. At the time I was very unhappy with the church (non-practicing) but my family thought it was the only way to go.

After reading this thread I feel a little weird that I promised that but didn't follow through.

Dumb Question--if the Lutheran church is a better fit and that is the faith you are following, does it really matter?

If ever you came back to the Catholic church, kids, and all...they would go through the children's RCIA...and our church specifically has a program called "Welcome back Catholics".

But in the eyes of the law--you are still married. In the eyes of the church--you probably couldn't take communion since you didn't follow through on that portion of your vows. It isn't a lie though.

 

[phillybeth]

Then why did you tell your DD that you didn't think Catholics will go to heaven??? I am terribly confused by your posts.

I never saw where she posted that. OTHER posters interpreted that.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Then why did you tell your DD that you didn't think Catholics will go to heaven??? I am terribly confused by your posts.

Here daughter asked if Catholics were the ONLY ones to go to heaven--to which her response was No..as in..."No, Catholics are NOT the ONLY ones that will go to heaven".

 

[Deb in IA]

Then why did you tell your DD that you didn't think Catholics will go to heaven??? I am terribly confused by your posts.

Here's my post:

Our DD asked us just last night if we believe that only Catholics go to heaven. I said no, and told her that I believe that anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will go to heaven. I told her that I personally feel that the Catholic Church, while it has done a lot of good things, puts too many "rules" on people.

A re-cap:

DD asks if ONLY Catholics will go to heaven. The rest of us will go to hell.

I said I believe anyone who believes in Jesus will go to heaven.

That's all.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I never saw where she posted that. OTHER posters interpreted that.

They misread. I had to read it twice and on the second reading realized what she had said. Sounds like her daughter was concerned as a Catholic school student, that if she wasn't catholic then she wasn't going to heaven.

 

[Jennifer S]

If, at the time of your wedding you intended on raising your kids Catholic then nothing will happen to you. You changed your mind. God gave us free will which is also the freedom to change our minds.

If, you however, lied to your priest and had no intention of raising your kids Catholic you will be struck down by a large bolt of lightning (just kidding).

I guess I really should have put more thought into it. I assumed I would at the time w/o having a serious conversation w/ DH. We were young and kids seemed so far away. We really didn't start going to church again untl we had our first child. We thought it was important for them to be raised in a church.

 

[golfgal]

Admit I haven't read whole thread, so I may be repeating what someone else has said, and I apologize if I do...
I'm a Catholic--struggle with my Church over many issues, but still a attends-Mass-regularly-teaches-RE kinda Catholic.
One issue non-Catholics have with the Roman Catholic Church is its reliance on tradition as much as, if not more, than the Bible. A fundamentalist non-Catholic friend is always asking me about my faith, "Where does it say that in the Bible?" I was led to believe that the Bible is not to be taken literally. Total opposite of several other Christian beliefs.

I know some people like this too, the Bible is literal, it actually rained for 40 days and 40 nights exactly (not just saying for a really long time or anything). This one friend in particular goes to a church and their pastor, who by the way has a weekly letter to the editor in our paper ripping apart every other religion--nice roll model for his church, says that the earth is 4000 years old because they (who ever they are) added up all the 'dates' in the Bible and that is how old the earth is. I asked her how she explains that we have written history that predates that and what about everything that happened before written history. She said they are just wrong. How do you argue with that .

 

[Deb in IA]

Here daughter asked if Catholics were the ONLY ones to go to heaven--to which her response was No..as in..."No, Catholics are NOT the ONLY ones that will go to heaven".

Yes!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Here's my post:




A re-cap:

DD asks if ONLY Catholics will go to heaven. The rest of us will go to hell.

I said I believe anyone who believes in Jesus will go to heaven.

That's all.

Don't you just love it when that happens?

OT--I had a thread where this happened with my posts a bit--the person even said they refused to go and read my earlier posts. So I fetched them and reposted....and they still didn't give a horse's pooty that I never said what they claimed I said (and even repeated that they didn't have the time to reread even though it was right there on the same page in front of their face).

ETA: not saying that this will happen here--just why I was helpin' you out .

 

[golfgal]

I totally agree with this.

We are practicising Episcopalians. Our children attend Catholic school. When they have Mass in school, our kids have to cross their arms and get a "blessing" from the priest.

Our DD asked us just last night if we believe that only Catholics go to heaven. I said no, and told her that I believe that anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will go to heaven. I told her that I personally feel that the Catholic Church, while it has done a lot of good things, puts too many "rules" on people.

Ok, never mind, I missed the word ONLY. I thought her dd asked if Catholics go to heaven and she said no... . See, I said I was confused by her posts (need to wash the eyeballs again)!

 

[castleview]

For those who want to change birth control, divorce, etc., you seek to change the doctrines of the church, so you can have an easier life, and possibly, be more at ease with your decisions. .

Actually, my parents' divorce wasn't my choice...although, it was nice to see two people move on with their lives and regain their faith since they weren't so miserable anymore. What I didn't like was the church telling my father that he would have to get an annullment (basically saying his first marrieage never happened and both his daughters were now "illegitimate") in order to be an accepted Catholic again. He was told by a friend in a similar situation that he could "give a little more" and the rule might be overlooked.

As far as changing church doctrine, I did at least simply choose another religion. However, I do think the church needs to be more realistic about divorce - it just happens sometimes; priests being celibate; and many other things.

 

[cardaway]

Personally my negative feelings are completely directed at the church because of their handling of issues like the sex scandal.

Given the power the church has there isn't much anybody can do so many of us have learned to just let it go.

 

[Deb in IA]

Ok, never mind, I missed the word ONLY. I thought her dd asked if Catholics go to heaven and she said no... . See, I said I was confused by her posts (need to wash the eyeballs again)!

Glad we are all cool again!!